A young man from Minnesota was arrested by the FBI after allegedly trying to buy weapons for an attack at the Mall of America

Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, an 18-year-old from Minnesota, was arrested Tuesday in a parking lot in the Minneapolis metropolitan area after allegedly trying to buy an assault rifle and ammunition from an undercover agent. Prosecutors allege that the suspect intended to carry out a terrorist attack at the Mall of America and spoke about killing between 30 and 60 people.

Mohamud, who was born in the United States to a family originally from Somalia, had reportedly been on the authorities’ radar for approximately two years. In conversations with an FBI informant via Signal and TikTok, he allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and expressed his intention to carry out an attack on U.S. soil.

According to court documents, the young man allegedly chose October 24, when an event for the Hmong community was scheduled to take place at the shopping center in Bloomington. The Mall of America has approximately 500 stores and receives around 32 million visitors annually.

During the operation, the suspect allegedly paid an undercover agent $600 for a bag containing an AK-47-style rifle, four magazines, and 200 rounds of ammunition. The transaction was reportedly recorded on audio and video, and Mohamud was arrested immediately afterward.

The young man was charged with federal terrorism and firearms offenses. A magistrate ordered that he remain in detention until a hearing scheduled for October 19. The charges will be reviewed by the court.